Third Labor: The Sirens (Preparation)
"A dragon? How did it settle so close to Stymphacolts? Their lands are far from here," I ask, grabbing a rabbit leg from atop the campfire.
"No idea. All we knew was that it landed on the mountain next to the city and that it was a fire dragon. We had to kick it out before it melted the snow of the mountains and caused a flood," Rainbow explains, waving her own rabbit leg around as she talks. "The Wonderbolt Guard was busy fifty miles to the east, so the city gathered the best they could find, which obviously included me, and sent them to kill it or at least scare it away."
"Is that where…" I point at Rainbow's missing left arm.
The rainbow-haired soldier looks at the stump as if she had forgotten it was there. "Yeah... me and Dust got the worst of it." She points at another of the three soldiers I had seen when I first arrived at Wallflower’s temple. She has golden hair and light turquoise skin, but only in the half of her body that wasn't covered in horrible burn scars.
"Did you win, in the end?"
"Of course!" Rainbow exclaims with that pride she shows often. "We had a great plan. We moved into its cave while it was sleeping, Dust and I climbed the walls till we were above its head, and the rest of the platoon waited in hiding. When Thunderlane gave us the signal, me and Dust jumped on its head and rammed our spears into its eyes."
"Making it easier to hide and dodge its flames. Clever," I say, and Rainbow's chest swells with pride.
"It was my idea, and it worked like a charm. I just… fucked it up right after that."
"It was just bad luck, Rainbow," the third soldier, a massive muscular guy that barely fits into his armor, says, earning a hard glare from his crippled companion.
"I. Fucked. Up." Rainbow reiterates, clearly not for the first time. "I didn't jump far away enough and the dragon got my arm for its last breakfast. If it weren't for Lightning's insanity, I wouldn't be talking right now."
"She was bleeding out," Dust explains. "I knew a tourniquet wouldn't cut it, so I needed to cauterize the wound. And there was a dragon blindly breathing fire around us."
My jaw falls as the words sink in. "No way. You guys are insane."
The two women shrug. "It's the soldier's life. High risk, high reward."
"And what was your reward for missing an arm and getting half of your body burned?” I ask. “Getting Magnus to throw you out just because you couldn't fight anymore? Is that why you're now in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to your name but old armor and stories around a campfire? How is that fair?!"
The three soldiers look at each other nervously, and I realize I was shouting at them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."
"It's okay," Rainbow says with a smile that tries to hold itself together. "It does suck that our service is over, but that's just how things are. You fuck up, do something reckless, or just realize that it's not for you, and you end up with nothing. We at least have Wallflower to care for us now, and some stories to tell to whoever wants to listen."
I shake my head. "Magnus should be the one protecting you, not Wally."
"She's right," the big guy says. "You two should've been part of the Wonderbolts."
"Well, apparently we weren't made for it," Rainbow says, raising her stump as much as she can.
Dust crosses her arms, a fierce scowl dominating her features. "That's bullshit, Dash, and you know it."
Grunting, Rainbow throws the rest of her food into the flames of the campfire. "There's nothing we can do about it now." She stands and quickly walks away, her two comrades following behind after a few apologies.
I just nod and leave too, walking towards Ceryneigh.
As I reenter the town that has become my new home for the last few weeks, I keep thinking back to Rainbow and her friends. There are many in the temple who have similar stories of being abandoned by the gods they followed in one way or another, but sometimes it was justified. There are some “bad apples” praying to Wallflower, but apparently she doesn't mind them.
It makes a lot of sense now, why she would want to intervene with my execution.
I suddenly feel a shiver down my spine, and I crouch just in time to let a pink blur fly over me. I quickly take a fighting stance, staring down at my opponent.
Pinkamena Diane Pie. Personal space's natural predator.
"Hi Starlight!" the personification of positivity says, jumping back to her feet after failing to surprise-hug-tackle me. "How's the temple?"
"Still in ruins," I answer, lowering my guard. "I was thinking maybe I could get some builders to repair it."
I'm instantly trapped between two inexplicably strong arms forming a bearhug. "Awww, that's really sweet of you!"
"You're going to hug the sweetness out of me," I struggle to say, with my ribs crushing my lungs.
"Oh, I know!" Pinkie exclaims, releasing her death grip on my body. "You can send a letter to Applejack! She and her family helped build half of the town."
"You know Applejack?" I ask, kind of pointlessly. I'm pretty sure Pinkie knows everything anyone in this town has ever done or will do.
It's a bit scary, to be honest.
"Of course I do! We were best friends before she had to leave," she exclaims as she jumps up and down excitedly.
After dusting off, I start walking towards the farm with Pinkie following close behind. "Why did she leave, exactly? Her family doesn't talk much about her."
"Well… she was supposed to come back, but instead she sent a letter saying that she would stay in Molorcolts with her brother and help him with the business they were setting up. Which was weird, considering Apple Bloom was left alone to tend the farm. I mean, isn't acquiring the product the priority when you want to start a business?" Pinkie ponders, which might be dangerous depending on what conclusion she arrives at.
"I'm sure she has her reasons. If you think she would be up to fixing the temple, I'll pay her a visit." Maybe I can get a discount. I don't have a lot of money.
Pinkie's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Really?! Oh, I'll make you a map so you can find her. I can't wait to see Jackie again!"
"Wait, I didn't say I would go right now!" I shout, but she’s already speeding away, leaving a dust cloud behind. "Well… I'll cross that bridge later."
I make my way to the farm, finding Apple Bloom already hard at work.
"Came for my shift!" I shout at her.
"East side. Seventeen full baskets minimum!" she shouts back.
"Got it!"
I've come to really like the little buff-girl. She's a complete overlord when it comes to work, but, once the day’s over and gets to relax, she turns into a completely different person. Cheery and curious about everything.
I have to lie a lot about who I am. And I'm sure she could tell a few times at least, but she hasn't called my bluff yet. Neither has Granny Smith, and she seems to be even more insightful than her granddaughter.
They surely know something; the question is how much.
I focus on the work at hand to avoid thinking about it. Speaking of, I didn’t expect to like farming so much. It’s a chore, sure, but not as bad as working in Celestia’s temple, and this is an effort that gives a good reward. Tasty, juicy reward. Besides, I don’t know if it’s because of Harmony’s influence or something else, but the orchard is a pretty calming environment.
Tree Hugger says that Mother Nature helps her and Bloom with the harvesting, making the work effortless, and I guess it’s true, because before I can really track the passing of time, I have seventeen baskets ready for storage.
I press my hand against one of the trees, trying to sense a connection like Tree Hugger does, but it still escapes me. I need to keep training.
Regardless, I mutter a thank you, and go over to where Bloom is working. “I have the baskets ready; want me to help you take them to the barn?”
“It can wait, it’s time for lunch,” the farmer says as she climbs down from one of the trees, leaving the apples in a basket before turning towards me. “Do you want to join us? You’re always welcome.”
I’m about to decline, but my stomach betrays me by deciding to grumble loudly. Mother Nature may help with time passing, but hunger seems to be out of her reach. “You sure? I don’t want to give Granny more work cooking.”
“None of that, you know Granny likes having you around.” Apple Bloom places her arm over my shoulders, ensuring that I couldn’t escape. “And I appreciate all the help you give us.”
“It’s not that much,” I say, smiling while pointing at the baskets she had gathered, almost double what I had managed in the same time.
”Even if it was just one apple, it would be one more than me and Tree can.”
“Is Tree joining us for lunch?”
“Nah, she says Mother Nature gives her all the nutrition she needs.”
“Oh, really?” I say looking back at the orchard. “I have to ask her about it.”
“After lunch,” Bloom says before walking to the inside of the house, pulling me along with her arm.
“We have apple fritter, apple bumpkin, caramel apple, apple strudel, apple tart, baked apples, apple brioche, and apple cinnamon crisp,” Granny Smith lists off as I stare at the table full of delicacies that would normally cost a fortune in Mycemare, yet here were just lunch.
“Don’t forget proper etiquette,” the voice of Twilight Velvet reminds me. One of the first things I had to master when I started working at the temple.
“You’re drooling a bit,” Apple Bloom points out.
Had to.
I wipe the drool and sit a bit straighter to compensate. “Sorry.”
Granny lets out a small laugh. “Oh, don’t worry dear. Bloom can’t eat with her mouth closed, so you’re in good company.”
“Ah don’t!” the younger Apple shouts, and I do my best to hold back a snicker.
“Of course, Bloom. But enough talking, eat before it gets cold.”
I immediately start filling my plate with a piece of everything, manners be damned. I never liked Velvet anyways.
“Never had food like this?” Bloom asks with a cocky smile. I shake my head, my mouth too full to talk."You must be from the east. Luna's city, I would guess."
I take my time to swallow, thinking about my answer. "That was my last stop before here."
"Oh, so you're a wanderer?"
"Something like that. To wherever Wallflower tells me to go."
"I still can't believe we never heard of her," Granny says as she discreetly pushes one of the further-away plates to me so I can reach more of these delicacies. "Even with her temple being so close to us."
"I'm also curious about that. Aren't the people at the temple members of this town?"
The two farmers looked at each other for a few seconds. "Not that we've heard. Almost all of the town follows Meadowbrook or Somnambula."
"Isn't Somnambula a bit far from here?" I ask before munching on a piece of tart.
"Yes, but some of the pilgrims after us came from her city, so they have a good base here."
"That's quite the trip. Did they come for some reason in particular?"
"Be not nu," Bloom mumbles before swallowing. "You would have to ask one of their descendants. Like Filthy Rich."
"But stay away from his wife," Granny warns me. "She's not very... ‘pleasant' to strangers," she adds, clearly wanting to use some more colorful language.
"I would think I'm no longer a stranger after spending so much time here."
"Well, we still don't know your-" Bloom says, before being interrupted by a sharp inhale. I quickly shove a piece of fritter in my mouth to buy time as Apple Bloom turns to glare at Granny.
Fuck, why did I slip that out?
"Star,” Granny says, waiting till I look her in the eyes before continuing. “Only when you feel ready.”
I swallow and slowly nod my head. “I… I think I’m gonna go practice with Hugger.”
“As you wish. Bloom will take care of the dishes,” Granny says, and Bloom restrains her complaints as she watches me stand up.
“Thank you for the food.” I say before quickly leaving the table, exiting the house in a hurry. Once outside, I take a deep breath, calming down.
Don’t panic. They know nothing. Just need to invent some story for them. Make it convincing or vague enough and I’ll be fine.
Needing some distraction, I make my way over to Tree Hugger's spot. The farmhand is sitting on her stump, waiting for me to arrive. "Hey Sun-sun! You look a little bit brighter today."
"Thank you," I say with a smile before sitting in front of her. "You seem as relaxed as always."
"That's my way of living." Tree Hugger laughs before shifting to her meditative posture. "Wanna join me today too?"
“Of course,” I say, copying her posture.
“Righteous! Now, breathe deep, seek peace.” We both close our eyes and concentrate on our breathing, following the sensation as it goes in and out, before slowly relaxing our bodies, one part at a time.
Meditating has been surprisingly difficult, especially the first few days since I asked Tree Hugger to teach me. She’d said that I should try to sense Mother Nature’s reach to the physical world, which, from her perspective, were roots closing in on her body. However, what I saw the first time was... that demon from the cave... and it scared me out of focus. It took a few tries till I could face it and not be scared, feeling sure that it couldn’t hurt me.
Then I started seeing my parents. Sometimes they were dying on the ground, their hands black and dead, and bodies covered with multiple swellings. Sometimes they would be just standing in front of me, smiling and talking, but I could never hear what they said.
After that, things started to become a mixture of people I knew.
I saw Meadowbrook and Celestia, but in flesh and blood instead of their statues. Staring at me.
Judging me.
I saw Sombra, repeating his lessons in my head, sometimes going at me with his axe.
I also saw Twilight, at the age when I first met her, crying or being scared, hugging her dear Smarty-pants. It was something that would also pull me out of meditation.
But the weirdest was when I saw Wallflower.
She looked just like the real one, but much more tired and even a bit older. And unlike the rest of my visions, she was sitting in front of me.
Smiling.
I asked, and Wallflower denied meddling with my meditation. I actually had to explain to her what Tree Hugger did till she understood what the question meant.
Speaking of, it’s her that I see now. Sitting in front of me with her pleasant smile. But there’s something different.
She’s not wearing her cloak, in fact, she’s wearing some sort of beige thick woolen tunic whose edges unravel into threads that seem to extend forever.
Is that…
I try to reach out to her, but the image instantly vanishes and I snap out of the trance.
“Hey! You kept it up for a long time there. Did you get close?” a little bird with Tree Hugger’s voice asks me as it rests on my shoulder.
“I… need to keep practicing,” I say, shaking my head to clear my mind.
“You’ll get it soon enough. I can tell you’ve all you need.”
“Thank you.” I pet the bird, making it chirp happily, getting a laugh out of me.
I’m still surprised by how open everyone is here. Always willing to help or at least give some advice. Things were very different back in Mycemare.
No… I was very different.
“Tree Hugger.”
“Yes, Sun-sun?”
“Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?”
“I suppose that’s your real name, right?”
I chuckle. “I guess I’m not that good of a liar.”
“You would have a better chance if you didn’t use the name of a known criminal.”
I turn my head to the bird. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way I got that unlucky making up an alias on the spot.”
“Sorry, Sun-sun, but Starlight Glimmer’s a real person. I’m surprised you never heard of her.”
“I never went out of Mycemare since I moved there. What did she do?”
“She stole an artifact of power from Meadowbrook’s temple in order to ascend to godhood and make everyone ‘equal’, or something like that.”
I slowly blink while my mind screams in panic. “Wh- why didn’t anyone tell me? Why did you just play along?”
“Well, you came to town wearing a mantle as a backpack, having walked all the way here instead of traveling with a horse or caravan, claiming to be a known criminal like it was the most normal thing in the world. You needed help. So, Granny Smith offered you a job.” The bird extended her little wing towards the orchard. “She brought you here, where she and Bloom would be able to know what you were doing while you were alone. If you were a thief, you would’ve probably grabbed what food you could and run. But you didn’t. You even rejected the food when I offered it to you the first time.”
“I… did try to steal from you. I was planning on robbing one of the horses-”
“While I was meditating, I knew. I was the horse that got close to you. Remember?”
I sigh as I shake my head. “My point is that I would’ve stolen from you if I didn’t know you were the horse.”
“Then why didn’t you do it when you got out of my range? The horse obeyed you, and you were far away to pick some food and escape. Why did you come back?”
“I… was worried for you...” I admit, rubbing my hands together.
“See, you’re not a bad person deep down. That’s why we trusted you. And when we told Pinkie, she spread the world around town. She got everyone to play along till you felt confident enough to tell the truth.”
“So… you were caring for me?... All of you?” I ask as I turn to look at the bird.
“Of course! Well… not all of us. Spoiled said that she would get you hanged if you brought any harm to the town.”
“I would never! I would just commit petty theft at worst!” I shout, flailing my arms.
“Chill, Sun-sun, we trust ya, and you aren't even the first to come here to escape from their past. However… I need to ask why you changed your name. If you’re comfortable sharing.”
I take a deep breath, buying me some seconds to think.
Fuck it. I’m already committed to this.
“I tried to steal one of Celestia’s most powerful artifacts to try and ascend to godhood and change the world for what I thought was better. I failed, got sentenced to execution, only to be saved by a god I’d never heard about that offered me the chance to complete labors to atone for my crimes. In the last labor, I was faced by a demonic copy of myself that made clear that actually succeeding in my original goal would have turned me into a worse monster than what I thought gods were.”
I regain all the air that I expelled on my explanation and brace myself for her reaction.
After a few moments of silence, the bird flies away, and Tree Hugger’s eyes open. “Ok, I’m not being defensive, I know you’re a good person now, but I’ll need a bit more context.”
I let out a long sigh, placing my hands over my legs. “Well… it all started when I was little.”
I’m from a small town east of Mycemare. Far east. Far enough that worship to the gods wasn’t really prevalent. Very few followers lived there, and, as the years passed, they migrated to the bigger cities where they could be closer to the gods, so we eventually became an atheist community.
We lived normal lives. Expanding the town, making sure that we wouldn’t be hungry or cold in the winter, and trading what we had to whatever merchant happened to pass through. We worked together, and persevered through many hardships.
Until we got hit with a plague.
It started killing hundreds in days, destroying everything we had worked to make, and we had no way to fight it. So, everyone started to pray to Meadowbrook, begging her to save us.
But it turns out that praying isn’t so simple. Unless you know the god’s prayers and rites, you’re just wasting breath. When we realized this fact, my father and many others decided to travel to the nearest big city and beg for help there. They were our last chance to survive. Many didn’t make it to the city, but the ones that did got no help at all.
The people of the cities saw a bunch of plague-ridden non-followers, begging for help from the gods that they had ‘abandoned’. “Of course you came begging for help now that things aren’t going your way. You should’ve said your prayers before, to prevent this from ever happening to you.”
While this was happening, the town had only a few dozen habitants left. And they were all infected. I spent the majority of those days in bed, burning with fever, barely having the strength to move, waking up in pain only to fall back unconscious shortly after. The only thing I was able to see during those moments of lucidity was my mother, kneeling in prayer over me, begging Meadowbrook to save me.
By some miracle, when the people in the cities started praying to Meadowbrook to save them from the plagued non-followers, the goddess finally did something to help us.
She didn’t bring back those who had died by a plague she had supposedly eradicated a century ago.
She didn’t descend from the havens to cure the very few that were barely alive.
She got plague doctors sent to our dying town, in carts that would take days to reach us.
When they eventually arrived, they started treating those who still had breath in their lungs, piled the dead in our abandoned granary, and found my mother dead next to my bed, hands still in prayer, and me, keeping myself alive by sheer spite.
I was treated and eventually cured, along with the five or six that remained of my people, and we all got to see as the plague doctors torched what was left of our lives and our loved ones to eliminate any traces of the plague.
After that, we were escorted to Meadowbrook’s city, where the citizens welcomed us with forced smiles and promises of new lives with them. As followers of their god.
I wanted none of that, so I left the city on my own and walked west till I stumbled upon Mycemare. Celestia pitied me and let me stay in her temple. From there, I started a new life. One with a singular purpose.
I thought that if I became High Priestess, a spokeswoman of one of the most important gods, I could make a change in the world. So I spent every hour of every day working towards that goal. I cleaned the temple, learned the prayers, studied all the rites and history, and made as many powerful friends as I could.
But it was all for nothing.
Twilight Sparkle, the girl I grew up with during my time in Mycemare, someone who spent more time reading books than praying, got elected as the next High Priestess due to her happenstance connection with the Crown of Magic.
At that moment, I understood that if I wanted the power to change the world, I couldn’t just wait for someone to give it to me. I had to take it. By force, if necessary.
“...But I was wrong. I only would’ve made things worse. And I’m paying the price for it.” Finishing my tale, I wait for Tree Hugger’s response.
It surprises me by how simple it is.
“Fuck.”
She exclaims this with a hand on her forehead, and after a minute of thinking, finally speaks again. “Hey, sorry if this sounds insulting but… why didn’t you get Twilight on your side?”
I frown, confused by her question. “What do you mean?”
“You said you made friends with powerful people, and that you grew up with Twilight. Why not explain your motives to her and get her to help you?”
I wince as old memories crawl to surface in my mind. “Twilight and I didn’t have the best kind of relationship growing up. We fought a lot. Mostly because of me.” My fists clench involuntarily. “I… I didn’t like her even before she was elected as High Priestess. She was just... ” I try to find something negative to use against her, but everything just sounds so petty now. “I thought that she was below me. I thought a lot of people were below me. That they were just stepping stones to reach my goal.” My vision becomes a blur as my eyes water. “Even with Wallflower. After she saved my life and tried to give me another chance to make something with my life, I just saw her as a tool.” I look at Tree Hugger, tears about to escape my eyes. "After hearing all of this… can you still trust me? Do you really think that I've changed from that?"
Tree Hugger looks at me in the eyes, her normally relaxed expression replaced by something much more serious. "I'm sure, because I've seen your very soul change, Sunset. I don't know what that demon did to you, but I could feel that something changed in you when you came back."
A strangled chuckle escapes my throat. "I did lose a lot of love. Maybe that's what's making me repent."
"Hating yourself isn't repenting, Sun-sun. That's not what you're doing. You're looking at yourself from a different angle and wanting to change things for the better. Because you know you can be better."
"I… I do want to change things. I can tell that I'm not the same as before but... I just don't know how or where to start now. I bet everything on a power grab, but that option is out. How can I change the world if I'm just human?"
Tree Hugger smiles, her calm demeanor slowly returning. "You would be surprised by what one person can do, Sun-sun. I know you're capable of achieving it, you just need a bit of direction."
I wipe the tears from my eyes and slowly nod. "I guess Wally will guide me. I don't know what she'll get me to do next.” My next chuckle isn’t strangled. “I just hope it doesn't hurt too much."
“Hey, if it makes you feel better, you can talk to me about it. I’m not a priest or anything, but I can listen.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Tree. You’ve helped me a lot,” I say, finally being able to smile. “Thank you.”
“I just did what’s right to do.” Suddenly, Tree Hugger looks up, and, just a second later, I do too, as a weird feeling snakes its way up my back. “Something’s coming.”
We don’t have time to prepare or do anything before something lands right next to us like a bolt of lightning, sending dirt and dust everywhere. Once it settles a bit, I manage to see a creature I thought I would never witness.
A white, blue-maned pegasus. Its fur spotless despite the impact, mane waving in the air by a magical wind, and beautiful golden eyes.
I want to ride on it, so bad!
"Letter for Sunset Shimmer." I suddenly realize the pegasus already has a rider, and that she’s just spoken, snapping me away from the allure of the magnificent beast.
She's a blonde woman with grey skin, wearing the most clean and gold-trimmed white chiton I've ever seen. I feel like I know this woman, and it isn't until I notice her eyes that I remember her depictions. Known by many names, but with the important title of Messenger of The Gods.
"Uh… I need you to take it," the woman says with a worried expression, waving the letter in her hand.
"Right, sorry." I move over to her, resisting the urge to pet the pegasus, and take the letter from her hands. I quickly open it and start reading.
Sunset Shimmer.
By request of The Goddess of Empathy, your next labor will be to sail into the Lacoltnia Sea and track down the Sirens. These are three dangerous predators that will kill on sight, and you must eliminate all three for the safety of the region.
You have a week to complete this labor.
Star Swirl The Bearded, God of Knowledge.
"Wait, who's the-" I try to ask, but the messenger is already flying towards the sky in her beautiful mount. "Okay. I need to leave the farm for a while for one of my labors, can you explain it to Apple Bloom?... Tree Hugger?" I turn towards her and notice that she has her eyes closed and a goofy smile on her face. "You're inside the pegasus, aren't you?"
"It feels great." Tree Hugger's eyes suddenly open. "Awww, out of range."
After a brief explanation to Apple Bloom, she not only let me go before finishing my workload, but she also lent me one of the horses so I don’t have to walk all the way to Nemarea again.
Bloom and Granny also saw me off, waving me goodbye and wishing that I came back safe.
It almost feels like… they’re…
I… I have to tell them next… I should’ve trusted them from the start.
I shake my head, focusing back on the road. The pier at Nemarea would be the easiest way to sail into the sea. The problem would be getting a boat, which I could maybe rent for a day, and finding the Sirens, who only have an entire ocean to hide in.
Although, I suppose they’ll most likely find me first, which would be the worst case scenario here.
I won’t luck out this time. I need to be ready.
I suddenly feel something press against my back, and when I turn my head, I see a large patch of wild green hair. “Hi Wally.”
“Yo,” the tired goddess responds.
“Are you okay? You look exhausted.”
“Had a reunion at the Pantheon. Nothing tires me more than that place.”
“You don’t say. Wait, do gods sleep?" I always find myself questioning stuff like this when Wallflower's around.
“We don’t,” she says before yawning, making it a bit of an oxymoronic statement. “But politics can put anything to sleep.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Do you remember what I said about gods not getting along?”
I slowly nod my head.
“Well, that's made abundantly clear whenever we have a reunion." Wallflower moves her hands around me and starts counting with her fingers. "Celestia and Luna are always having some sort of argument, even when they have the same opinion. Cadence’s wanderlust nature has her not attending many of the reunions, so, when she does appear, she’s out of the loop most of the time. Tirek refuses to leave Tartarus, and honestly I can't blame him. I get ignored most of the time, so that only leaves The Ladies of Time and The Pillars to decide most matters, but since the six always support each other, they end up swaying the result in their favor all the time. It all ends up being a pointless discussion where half the room might as well not be present. It took a lot of convincing to make them agree to let you handle the Sirens.”
Once her rant is over, Wallflower lets out a long sigh and rests herself against my back again.
I want to ask questions, but she really seems to need the respite, so I try to relax and make the trip as smooth as possible, slowing the horse down so we don’t bounce too much.
After a few minutes of silence, Wally speaks again. “What have you been up to?”
“The usual. Helping at the farm. Meditating. Meeting people. Just… living, I guess. It feels like it’s been a while since I did that.”
“I’m sorry I threw you at the Sirens,” Wallflower says, her arms pressing against my sides in an awkward hug. She always feels so soft.
“It’s okay.” I say turning my head back to see her. “I assume it’s part of my atonement, right?”
Wallflower shakes her head. “I already told you, you’ve proven yourself enough for me. Sadly, that won’t convince the rest of the gods.”
And Celestia. “So I’ll do labors for them now?”
“Basically, but they’ll still be assigned by me.”
“And you chose the Sirens? Do you know them?”
Wallflower doesn't respond. She remains silent for a few seconds before suddenly appearing right in front of me. Really close.
She smells like flowers.
“Sunset… this won’t be the same as Chrysalis. I knew she could be reasonable, but the Sirens are something else entirely. I won’t blame you in any way if you have to kill them.”
I stop the horse and look her in the eyes. There’s something hidden behind them. A request she thinks is unfair to ask for.
“I can find a way to save them,” I assure her. “You know how stubborn I can be.”
“You don’t need to,” she tells me, but the small hint of a hopeful smile tells me what she really wants.
I chuckle. “We’ll see.”
Suddenly, Wallflower’s head snaps up and seems to be listening to something I can't hear. “Sorry, I need to go. I’ll see you at the port.” She gives me a quick hug that I wasn’t expecting and vanishes into flower petals.
I can’t help but smile before wiping the reins and starting a good gallop towards Nemarea.
The clang of metal rings through the open field as Sombra’s axe and my new shield collide. I now have enough strength to block his attacks, but the tadger’s still monstrously strong.
Sombra pushes my shield away with the axe and goes for a quick strike against my ribs, but I manage to backstep away and counter with a fast slash towards his chest. The tip of my blade ‘cuts’ through his half-phantasmal body, leaving no wound, but granting me the victory.
“I wanted to ask, do you know anything about the Sirens?” I say as I catch my breath.
Sombra places the axe on his shoulder before answering. "Yes. I got my hands on many old manuscripts from Gusty The Great during my mortal years. One of them-"
"Wait!” I exclaim with wide eyes.“From Gusty?! The Gusty?"
"That's what I said," Sombra answers nonchalantly.
"That can't be true. There haven't been any records of her since… you said your mortal years?"
Sombra raises his left hand, showing its slight etherealness. "I don't consider this living."
"When were you born?” I ask, curious about the origins of this ‘king’.
Sombra takes a couple of seconds to think his answer. “Around a thousand years ago.”
“W-what?” I mumble perplexed. I was not expecting him to be that old. “Wait, that’s around when Luna and Celestia became goddesses.”
“They already were goddesses when I met them. I can tell you the full story, or we can talk about the Sirens.”
"Right, I should focus." I place my flower in my armor and attach the shield to my horse's saddle before sitting down on the grass in front of Sombra. "So, what can you tell me about the Sirens?"
The king also sits down, and, to my surprise, part of his phantasmal body starts to turn into shadows, which move between us and start taking different shapes as he talks.
"The Sirens were the queens of Dazzberos, a now ruined kingdom on the other side of the Lacoltnia sea."
The shadows move, taking the form of three long-haired women dressed in different styles of armor.
"They were part of Grogar's legion, along with Tirek, Ariadne Hiveblood, and Gusty the Great. They were the captains of his forces, but they mostly handled the slave trade in his territory, using some sort of magical song to control their subjects and even some enemies that had lost the will to fight. When The Pillars invaded Dazzberos, Star Swirl captured them and turned them into monsters.”
The shadows swirled, and suddenly the three figures seemed to scream silently as their forms expanded and twisted, until the women had turned into huge, long-tailed sea-horses, with large jaws filled with sharp teeth and equine forelegs.
“He chained them to the port of Dazzberos and fed them the most dangerous of his enemies till the fight against Grogar ended. I always thought that they starved to death after that, but apparently they survived, and are now free.” Finishing the tale, the shadows dispersed.
“They’ll use their song to trick your mind, dull your senses if not control you completely. Then they’ll feast on your flesh. They’re big enough to sink a small boat by themselves, and even if they are animalistic, they’re still smarter than a common creature. A direct confrontation will most likely end with your death. You need to take any advantage that presents itself, and, obviously, stay out of the water.”
“I’ll come up with a plan,” I say before grabbing my left hand, stopping its shaking. “If their song is their main weapon, I could use wax to cancel my hearing.”
Sombra scratches the underside of his chin. “I would advise against nullifying one of your senses in battle, but it may be your only option. You would still face three powerful creatures.”
“If they’re confident in their song, maybe I can pretend to be under its influence? Take at least one out with a surprise attack?”
“That would be a good start, but keep in mind that these three are sisters in all but blood. If one falls, the other two will surely become enraged and hunt you for more than merely food. It’ll be personal.”
I slowly nod. “Could there be a more diplomatic way of dealing with them?”
"I figure if you could break their curse they would be grateful, but I don't know what method Star Swirl used to make their transformation possible. He was still a mortal when he did it."
"I guess asking him to remove the curse is out of the question," I say, remembering his actions with the changelings.
I'm sure Wally would give me that option if she could.
"Standing between Star Swirl's justice and his enemies may be more dangerous than the Sirens," Sombra warns me. "Pick your battles carefully."
"I will."
Hopefully.
After two more days of travel, I finally see the wooden walls of Nemarea in the distance. As I approach, I see half a dozen archers standing at the ready in the two watchtowers that frame the entrance of the port-city. They seem very strict, which is weird considering Cadence is the most favored here. The 'diplomat', as Chrysalis called her.
Once I'm in front of the gates, one of the city's guards approaches me. "What's your business in Nemarea?"
I'm about to make up something when I remember that hey, I have evidence this time!
"I'm on a mission from the gods!" I announce, almost grinning as I pull out the letter The Messenger gave me. The guard seems confused by my claim, and, before I can clarify, turns around and goes back behind the walls.
After a few minutes of waiting, he comes back, followed by what I assume is the captain of the guard, judging by the blue violet cape added to the bronze armor all the guards were wearing. "Letter," he states simply, extending his hand to me with impatience. Even with the helmet covering most of his face, I can feel his fierce eyes staring at me from within.
I comply, and he takes a few seconds to go over the words before looking at me more closely, almost as if he recognized me. "I'll take you to the harbor. Kevin!" he shouts, and another guard comes running from behind the walls.
This one doesn’t look like a combat-oriented guard. He only has a chestplate and a short sword on him, otherwise looking like any other civilian.
"Go to the market and get some rations for Shimmer, she's going to be at sea for a while," the captain orders, and 'Kevin' simply goes to do what he was told. "Follow me."
I nod and follow the captain through the city, getting a good look at what Cadence's influence can do to a community.
Apparently, it involves a whole lot of flowers.
Each brick house has a small garden surrounding it with different colorful flowers, and the paved roads have a planter box down the middle, filled with red and pink roses. It all makes the place look much more colorful and vibrant. Plus, the smell of salt and fish gets covered by the floral scents.
I'm sure Wally would like it here. She would know about it, right?
As we make our way to the port, I see a large wooden longhouse with Cadence’s emblem over the entrance, right next to the city’s market, where I spot Kevin running between the vendors, piling things into a small cart behind him. When we approach the entrance of the market, I notice a statue of the goddess herself, her right hand extended forwards and her face immortalized in an expression of care and solace.
I always thought of her as the most vain of the goddesses. Just a pretty face made to smile and wave without much purpose other than to remind you that love exists, and worse, that she somehow controls it, so you’re never really sure if you love someone or it’s just a god making you feel something. But she tried to help the changelings. She almost succeeded. She still helps them.
Would she have helped my village if she had seen it?
“One second please,” I say as I stop my horse and move over to the statue. The captain l simply nods before crossing his arms. I climb down and press my cheek against the stone hand, saying a little prayer to Cadence.
“Lady of Sunshine, if you see my heart as clear as crystal, fill it with light, and may your love give me strength.” I clap my hands as I finish and return to my horse, the captain giving me another nod before continuing.
We eventually arrive at the port, an extensive marble structure with carved rectangular columns depicting the port’s history. And it seems to be a long history. You can see the evolving ship designs, the expanding trade routes, even columns dedicated to the birth and obituaries of the townsfolk.
This all makes it very confusing for me when the captain takes me away from the main entrance to the port, and instead to a side of it that seems to be under either construction, remodeling, or expansion. There, we find a few small boats tied to the makeshift pier and some workers currently on shift, one of them spotting us and calling out to another who appears to be the foreman.
“Yo, Thomas! Yer Brother’s here!”
‘Thomas’ is a very tall-but-thin-as-a-branch guy, and, just by seeing his features, I can tell he’s a soft soul. A clear contrast to his brother.
The foreman runs up to us immediately, panting a bit at the sudden exercise. “Is that her?”
Wait… “What?”
“She is. So keep it together,” the captain grumbles.
Thomas winces a bit. “Sorry, Pharynx.”
The captain’s armored hand crashes into his helmet. “It’s Phalanx!”
Pharynx… wait a minute! “You’re changelings?” I whisper as low as I can, leaning forward on my horse.
“...Yes. We all live here,” Pharynx reluctantly responds.
“Mom told us about you,” Thomas adds with a smile.
So that’s why she was just outside the city. “So, you want to help me?” I ask, looking at the captain.
“Help you more than what a letter would,” Pharynx says, with a more relaxed, but still terse, voice. “You won’t get support on a mission from ‘The Goddess of Empathy’.“
“Really? Why?”
“She doesn't exist,” he answers simply.
I frown instantly. “She does exist. She’s-”
“I know she exists, but she's not a normally recognized goddess. People will think that you’re lying to them. Some may even try to hang you for it.”
“Oh...” I guess claiming partnership with a god is out of the question from now on.
“Anyway. Thorax here can give you a boat.”
“You should call me Thomas.”
“I know what I said!” Pharynx shouted, making his brother shrink in place. “Now go find something that can get her to the open sea.” Thorax nods and, just like Kevin, quickly runs to do what he’s told.
Pharynx then turns to me. “Do you have any sailing experience?”
“Uh… no, but that would be the crew’s job, right?”
“Sorry, but I’m not sending anyone, much less my own family, to do something this dangerous,” he says with his arms crossed, making it clear it wasn’t up to debate.
“Okay, well, can you give me a run of the basics?”
“Thorax can help you with that, I need to go back to my post. If you need me, tell Kevin to go find me.” He points behind me, and I see the poor guy carrying a heavy cart full of supplies. “This is all I can give you. I hope you can succeed in your mission, allies are very rare for us.”
I turn to him and give my most confident smile.“I thank you. I promise I’ll succeed.”
Allies… not stepping stones.
Okay, sailing is a lot more complicated than I first thought. I spent the entire day going over the basics with Thorax, he even gave me a test run in one of the… what was it called? Karve, I think. He said I did pretty good when I wasn’t puking or falling off the boat. At least one of those problems can be solved with a bit of rope.
Needless to say, the plan of leaving immediately has to be postponed; luckily, all the food Kevin bought can last for a long time, and Thorax promised to take care of the horse, so now I’m walking with a wounded pride towards the massive inn connected to the port.
The entrance to the place is flanked by rose bushes, and, at the top, a carved wooden sign names it as 'The Merry Cherry'. I enter the establishment and find it fully packed, though not so much that it's impossible to move between the tables. Most people here are sailors, obviously, but I can tell there's a lot of people from different corners of the continent.
I make my way to the bar as discreetly as possible and call the attention of the innkeeper. Cloudy, crimson hair, pale skin with a dot under her left eye, nice but still slightly worn clothes. She's clearly a woman a bit past her prime, but she seems to keep herself as elegant and young as possible, though a quick look at her callous hands and toned muscles makes it clear she isn't against getting her hands dirty. I also notice that she's wearing a heavy leather belt with Rockhoof's insignia carved into a bronze plate in the center of it. An ex-adventurer, most likely.
Needless to say, I like this woman. And the paintings and trophies lining the walls of the bar tells me that she's well-travelled, maybe even more than Trixie. She could be useful… of help, for me.
I walk up to the bar, and the woman immediately greets me with a smile. “Welcome to The Merry Cherry, what can I help you with?”
“I’m looking for a room for the night.” I say, counting my coins. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too expensive. “And wanted to ask if there have been some words of a trio of monsters in the open sea.”
The woman looks at me up and down, studying my clothes and body. “You don’t seem exactly the sailor type, Miss...”
“Star...” I stop, and take a deep breath. I need to stop lying. “I’m Sunset Shimmer. Have you heard of me?”
The woman thinks for a few seconds. “Don’t think I have, but I think I’ve heard some rumors of what you’re looking for. One of Blueblood’s ships was found adrift not long ago. The ones who found it say that there weren’t any signs of struggle or combat, but that there were some bite marks along the deck. Big ones.”
Yeah, charming them to the deck and then feasting on them. “There wasn’t any blood?”
“Apparently not, nor any bodies. It’s a bit unsettling.”
“They probably swallowed them whole,” I reason out loud, and the woman looks even more uncomfortable than before.
“Are you here for the reward?”
“Reward?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Blueblood’s offering a lot of coins for whoever brings him the heads of whatever ate his employees.”
“I… something like that. If you can tell me where they were sighted, it would be very helpful for me.” The woman taps her fingers against the wood, trying to decide if she should tell me or try to convince me to stay away from the sea. “I have to face them anyway, but I’ll need all the help I can get.”
After a few more seconds, the woman sighs. “Northwest of here, between the coast and Marerhytia. It’s still a big area, but–”
“It’s a start.”
“Yes.” The woman studies me one more time. “You can have a room for free. Least I can do if you’re going to get rid of those things.”
“I… I appreciate that. Thank you,” I say, a bit surprised by the generosity. The changelings were one thing, but this woman barely knows me. And knowing me would only sour her opinion of me. “Sorry, I never asked your name.”
“Oh, I’m Cherry Jubilee, pleasure to meet you.”
"The pleasure is certainly mine."
“Obelus!” Cherry shouts, and a young waitress turns around to look at us. “Prepare room 5 for Miss Shimmer.” The girl nods and quickly leaves for the upper floor. “You want something to eat?”
The growling of my stomach answers the question for me.
After some pretty decent food ─Sorry Cherry, but Granny’s cooking can't be topped─ Obelus shows me to my room, which, upon seeing it, makes me very glad that it was given to me for charity, because there’s no way I could pay for something like this.
The room is very spacious, with a big mahogany double bed with ─after a quick check─ actual silk bed sheets and wolf pelts. It also has a large bear rug, a very elegant wardrobe that takes the entire wall, some eternal-torch candelabra that keeps everything in a very pleasant warm light, and a big double window that gives a nice view of the town, from where I could really appreciate all the color the countless flowers gives to the town.
“E-excuse me...” A soft voice says, and when I turn around, I find the waitress –Obelus, I believe– standing at my door, hugging a metal tray while looking nervously at the floor. “Can I… uhhh… can I come in?”
“Uh, sure. Is something the matter?”
“N-no. I just… wanted to talk.”
“Oh, you don’t need to be so scared about it. I’m not scary... Am I?”
“Well, it's just that...” Obelus looks back at the door, checking that it was indeed closed. “Pharynx says that I shouldn’t be talking longer than necessary with anyone, because it could blow my cover, but since you already know mom and the rest, it should be okay, so I wanted to know how are things outside of this city. I mean, you clearly travel a lot, so maybe-”
“Okay okay, I get it!” I shout to stop the barrage of words. I didn’t expect to run into the full family so quickly.
What’s left of it...
“Look, I’m not that well traveled myself, but if you want to talk about something in particular I can spare a few minutes.” It’s not like I have much to do till tomorrow.
Obelus lights up with excitement and basically runs to sit on the bed next to me. “So, where are you from? How’s the culture there? Have you seen any creatures in your travels? What are these things you’re hunting?”
I get a sudden flashback to when I first met Twilight, before I… yeah.
I clap my hands, organizing the multiple questions she threw at me. “Well, I’m originally from a place called Mycemare, which is the center of Celestia's worship.” I hear a small growl, and when I turn to Obelus, I see her frowning with sharp teeth bared. “Yeah. Fuck her,” I say flipping off the setting sun on the horizon, and I laugh when Obelus does the same.
“I hope you get to replace her.” Obelus says, the seriousness and… sadness in her tone wipes the smile out of my face. “Maybe then we’ll be able to leave this place.” She looks down at her reflection on the metal tray, and I see a hint of her true eyes, an artic blue instead of greyish cyan. “Maybe mom will see her again.”
“You mean Luna?”
Obelus nods. “She barely talks about her with us, but it’s clear she misses her. She’s always reading that book non-stop.”
“What’s in that book?” I can't help but ask.
“Poems that she wrote for her. Luna loved them.”
“I...” Don’t know what to say. What do you even say in a case like this? “I hope they can see each other again someday.” Obelus says nothing, my words doing nothing to bring her any calm.
We stay silent for a few very long seconds, till she asks me a new question.
“What do you know about Luna?”
I drum my fingers on my thigh. “Well… I know some things.” Mostly negative ones. “Most of them are legends.”
“Would you please tell me about them?” Obelus asks me, with big bright eyes and an excited smile that steals a chuckle out of me.
“Okay, let me think.” I scratch my chin, trying to remember some good story of her─which is hard when you’ve spent most of your life focusing on the bad things in those legends. “I know, have you heard of Stallionfades?”
“I think it was on mom’s invasion plans, but she cancelled that whole operation for some reason.”
I look at the woman with a raised eyebrow. “How old are you?”
“Two Hundred-ish.” We stare at each other for a few seconds. “It would be like nineteen for your species.”
“Cool.” I clear my throat and think back to how Trixie, Tree, and Sombra told stories.
“Stallionfades was once the home of the Harpies, old creatures once created by Star Swirl to tie the winds to his control. They were originally just four, one of each cardinal, but, with time, their numbers expanded till they became one of the world’s most ancient civilizations.”
Obelus chuckles, interrupting my tale. “Sorry, it’s just that there are a lot of older races, us included.”
“Maybe someday you’ll be able to update our records.” I say, and judging by the sudden glint in the woman’s eye, she likes the idea. “As I was saying, this new not-as-ancient civilization wasn’t fond of living at the beck and call of Star Swirl, so they eventually abandoned him and settled themselves at the top of Mount Aris, creating the kingdom of Stallionfades, from which all the winds of the world originated.”
“Wait, what has Luna to do with any of this?” Obelus interrupts me once again.
“I’m getting to that,” I grumble.Trixie was right, it is rude. “Since they fulfilled their role, Star Swirl didn't deem it necessary to punish them for disobeying, so he let them be and allowed them to expand their civilization and culture. However, he also did nothing when they were attacked.” I pause for a moment, knowing things will get ugly now. “An old king wanted to conquer the Harpies and take over the control of the winds and weather, even calling himself The Storm King, to prove how his victory was assured. And sadly, it was. His army crushed the Harpies, who never had a real enemy to fight before. Many died, many more were captured, including their Queen, and only a few managed to escape. They would later found a new city in another mountain, far from here.”
“Harpystone?”
I nod before continuing with the story. “The Storm King had won, but he couldn’t fully control the winds like the Harpies could, causing hurricanes and thunderstorms, making sea travel almost impossible. Despite being the responsibility of Star Swirl, Luna was the one that dealt with the issue, since the wind was a crucial element for her domain. She threw her trident at the top of Mount Aris, collapsing the mountain, freeing the winds, and making the entire island it sat upon sink to the bottom of the ocean, where the Storm King and all his subjects drowned.”
“But… weren’t the Harpy’s also there? Did she kill them too?”
That’s how I wanted to see it. An uncaring god, killing indiscriminately because someone inconvenienced them. That was the perfect story for my intentions.
But...
“There’s a belief that Luna didn’t just sink the entire island to drown The Storm King. She did it to prevent any further invasion to the Harpy’s kingdom.”
“How?”
“Luna rules the oceans, so she sent them to the bottom of them so they would be safe deep in her domain. She changed them from creatures of the skies to denizens of the sea. A new race of Sirens.”
“Like the ones you’re hunting now?”
“No no no, these were different. Much less monstrous and without the hunger for human flesh. It’s even said they’re some of the most beautiful beings that you can find. Obviously, no one has ever reached so deep, so it’s mostly speculation, but knowing how Luna is now, I like to think it’s the truth.”
“I’m gonna go ask mom!” Obelus announces, standing up like a spring. “She surely knows the truth!” She then quickly darted out of the room, leaving me alone with a smile on my face.
“Nineteen. Sure.” I say with a chuckle before stretching and lifting the covers of the bed, ready for a nice long sleep.
After a few more days of training and nights telling stories to Obelus, who later would tell me that her name is actually Ocellus, I finally feel ready to set sail into the ocean.
“Remember, don’t sail into the wind, it’ll push you backwards or just snap your mast in half. If you must sail against the wind, use the oars,” Thorax reminds me as I prepare to set sail.
“But, it’s just me here, I can't row this boat by myself!”
“Then pray to Luna for the wind to change.” Ocellus suggests.
“What are the words?”
“Oh grand lady of the sea, this humble follower that you see, wishes for safe travels across your lands, guided by your starlight hands, so we may see your night again.”
I repeat them in my head, making sure I memorize them correctly before hoisting the sails and start gaining speed to leave the harbor.
I look back and see the entire changeling family waving at me, even a black and green crow perched on Ocellus’ shoulder. I wave to them, then set my eyes on the intimidatingly endless expanse of ocean water. “Alright, time to find the Sirens.”
Next Chapter:
Third Labor: The Sirens (Showdown)
The Sirens human form.
Stats
Page generated in 0.038 seconds
Total duration
1,031 users online
1,580,015 hits today, 2,244,100 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Well it was a nice chapter.
Although i thought we would have the fight against the sirens, especially after 5 (close to 6) months.
11062187
As I said in the blog, I decided to cut the chapter in two to not have so much thrown at the same time and to avoid having it uploaded by Christmas. The second part has the fight with the Sirens and a lot more, it's almost finished but probably will be released by January.
I hope you liked what this has still, there's some important stuff here.
I really hope sunset finds a way to save them and doesn’t have to kill
The Dazzlings are one of my favorite villains
Most especially sonata sense I LOVE her a lot and out of the 3 I definitely see her becoming good the most
11062190
I liked it.
I am mostly pissed off many of the stories i like are updated slowly (on this site and outside), one of them being because it's author is focus on a story which i am not a fan of, which in turn made than the story i am not a fan of is now one i despise due to how it affect the one i like (because the one i like isn't even updated monthly while the other is weekly).
And also because close to 6 months to a chapter lié that is frustrating.
This drama aside :
I am sure part of Tree Hugger's reaction was because the start of Sunset explanation sounded like Starlight's one.
Sunset backstory is sad, i understand far more why she she have so little respect for the gods.
I hope than even after her "redemption" (she already had earned it IMO) she will have no positive feelings toward them except maybe Luna and Celestia (Wally is a whole other case without the reasons to have a negative opinion) or respect beyond "those bastards can and will blast me if i annoy them, better not making them angry".
I hope Sunset will have a true fight and will crush the Sirens.
I didn't read the blog.
11062203
Yeah, I totally hear you, I also don't want to take 6 months to update, but things just kept getting worse for me. I do however want to have this option of splitting things at 10K so I can give both myself and you guys some more sense of progress,
Aside for this, that's an interesting theory, and you'0ll see her fight in the next chapter, though remember that we are in the third labor, Sunset will face much worse in the future.
11062202
If she "save them" honestly, one, it should be after kicking their asses, because Sunset need to be badass throught brutality for once, and if they became her crew.
I crave Sunset crushing her ennemies, mainly because i was introduced to this site throught the Sunset of SAPR and i wanted her to fight against those who did her wrong.
This alongside other Crossovers having Sunset being a great fighter and/or magic user had turned me into a fan of the idea of Sunset doing it
11062209
What theory ?
I find odd Sunset never learned any magic as a pupil of Celestia, i hope she will learn a bit and finding magic Weapons.
Are you sure you don't want me to help ? Greek mythology is something i am fan of since i am 11, and i would love to help into the making the story
11062216
Oh, don't worry, Sunset will get to pull off her fighting abilities eventually (The labors rise in difficulty pretty quickly), though right now she's still a novice. This is her first actual fight outside of training.
11062221
That Starlight had a similar story to Sunset
There is a reason for that and it will be covered later.
Again , I appreciate it, but I have things covered, it's more of a matter of time and not being tired form dealing with life stuff.
11062226
Hence why i could help.
Better four hands than two after all.
I do this for others stories.
Great stuff with Sunset confronting her past mistakes and misunderstandings. This town really is good for her.
It is said that one eye always points at her previous recipient to ensure they are acting on the will of the gods, while the other points at her next one, that she may plot the course ahead of time.
Her current recipient has to figure out which one to focus on. As far as trials of the gods go, it's one of the least hazardous ones.
Careful, now. This is how new rituals start.
Great setup for the oceanic confrontation. Looking forward to it... though we'll see just how open the Dazzlings are to the diplomatic approach.
11062339
It is. The feeling of family and being cared about.
Canon
I love how the gods aren't infallible nice guys in the story so much. Ofc it correlates with Greek mythology with a lot of the gods just being assholes but yeah I'm loving this
Adagio has abs…..nice
Man, she is unlucky if she picked someone with a similar crime to hers.
Seems her attitude is changing, one labour at a time. Speaking of which...
I wonder if her attitude towards Celestia will change by the end of this.
Every time I worry that this story has been abandoned, you pull a rabbit outta your hat. Still, I am grateful that you divided this. This chapter alone is of decent length, and with decent plot development, and to (hopefully) get another before Christmas is another treat! I know that you need time to produce such great quality work, and I honestly don't mean to pressure you into rushing or anything; it's just that this is one of the few truly good Wallflower-centric fics to come out recently, and I'm always eagerly looking forward to an update!
That said, this chapter has excellent development. Even with the bit of a time-skip, we're able to discern the changes in Sunset's character, and how she's starting to integrate with both the farm and the town as a whole. The inclusion of Pinkie and Rainbow would seem to indicate that the town is a version of Ponyville sans Twilight (for now, at least). It'll be interesting how you introduce Fluttershy. A friend of Treehugger perhaps? Another follower of Wally like Rainbow? Rarity and Sweetie as well. And will Scootaloo appear as a relation to Rainbow, maybe? So many possibilities.
Hmm, and there seems to be a possible future subplot brewing with Applejack and Mac, who have both left the farm they love unexpectedly for mysterious reasons?
Another development is how Sunset is starting to actually have more trust in certain god(desse)s besides Wally. She said specific chants/rhymes/incantations to both Cadence and Luna for good blessings on her journey. Of course, Luna has already helped her out once (of sorts), and Wally doesn't seem to mind Cadence too much, so that probably helps. Still, it might be abit before she trusts Celestia again (the finger being a pretty prominent indicator of her current feelings).
I noticed that while the other gods/goddesses have chants and rhymes and prayers, Wally doesn't really seem to have any (except maybe the "forget-me-not" yammerings that some of her followers in the temple shout out when they see her). I get the feeling that she just shows up when she's needed, and doesn't need prayers or incantations to "bless" others. Maybe it's because she pays closer attention to the mortals than the other god(desse)s do, so a prayer isn't needed to get her attention? Anyway, the point being that Sunset doesn't feel the need to pray to Wallflower, even though Wally is the one god she trusts and believes in the most (or maybe it's because of that reason that she feels like she has no need to pray to her). It's more proof that Sunset sees her as an equal rather than a higher being (except maybe in terms of benevolence, which she is admittedly still working on).
Heh, and how ironic that while trying to come with an alias to hide her past actions of attempting to use a magical artifact to achieve godhood and equality, that Sunset would, by chance use the name of another criminal who attempted to use a magical artifact to achieve godhood and create equality! Ha!
Makes me wonder if we'll encounter the real Starlight Glimmer later in the story?
And more backstory for Sombra as well! Very interesting.
Hmm, but what's this? The messenger of the gods is riding a white pegasus? Are you sure she wasn't riding a tan-colored earth pony who mysteriously appeared from a blue box instead? 😆 Her expression of worry when Sunset didn't immediately take the letter had me thinking; what if Sunset had refused the letter? Was Derpy supposed to get a signature? 😅
Also, the scene where Wally just hugs on Sunset from behind and Sunset is nonchalant about her goddess just using her as a comfort pillow like that? Absolutely adorable! 😁
11065817
This made my day.
Thank you for being patient, I want to make more as quick as possible, but life has been draining me a lot lately, but I still try to do as much as I can.
I'm also happy the timeskip didn't feel like something was missing, that was one of my worries with the chapter. And yes, this town would be a version of Ponyville, though not all characters are in similar positions.
Some grudges are harder to pardon than others. We'll see what it takes for here to change her view on Celestia
I can say that she's still around, so maybe one day.
To put it simply, that would've been a very bad idea.
Yes, these two are adorable together
Alright.
First off, giving a time pass from the previous chapter to this was a nice idea. Specially when you reinforce Sunset's character development through out this chapter quite vividly. The relationships have progressed offscreen with the apple family, but the amount you provide in this one does catch us up to date. (Except how the hell did TreeHugger convince a whole fucking town to play along with Sunset's lie?) (Also, Is starlight going to be the last labor?)
"Wally" has been used by Sunset a bunch through this chapter. Are they bffs now? Or... are you setting up something more?
It seems slowly we are getting to know our god gang bit by bit, which is something I wanted. Currently, it seems we are focusing on StarSwirl and meadowbrook a bit. But we need a bit more, honestly. The whole godhood system is still a bit obscure to me, even though the first chapter focused on that a bit.
overall, a great catch up to send Sunset to the next battle. Hopefully the next will live up to the expectation now.
Somehow, the first thing that came to mind reading this is Sunset convincing the Dazzlings to clear out with several weeks worth of wild sexual adventures, and ending up egged liberally in the process (at least those probably would not be fertilised). It would likely not be her preferred choice though.
Nice. It certainly checks the boxes for an ageless xeno romantic partner, which is not at all unattractive. Assuming they'd be interested. So far it's an open question of what would their chosen style for interacting with humanity and others be, if any, without the existential threat of Star Swirl.
yay! this makes perfect sense as this universe’s version of Rainbow!
and augh, love this adaptation of Lightning Dust fucking up getting into the Wonderbolts
so true
so Apple Bloom
well, wonder what’s going on there!
hehe, makes me think of Applejack’s introduction in S1E1
oof, this happens to Wallflower even as a literal deity…
ooh, this feels like this is foreshadowing something, but what?
aww, so very Sunset!
hehe, perfect adaptation! and i wonder if Sunset had heard the name in passing but didn’t remember, which is why it came to mind as an alias
aww, love this twist
and augh, fantastic background for Sunset, tying in her orphanhood to her arc of disillusionment with the gods. really feel for her story here!
such a great summary of Sunset’s arc
i mean it was a headtrip enough to see the EqG humans co-existing in a world of non-pony horses, so why not add non-pony pegasi to that?
oh love this meta bit! “Known by many names”, that is just supremely clever
definitely sounds like a message from Star Swirl
i’m surprised if any of the gods aren’t tired by the end of all this!
aww! love this slow burn
down bad and understandably so
so true
definitely imagining him chewing the scenery with this line
the Sirens literally originating from Greek mythology makes their adaptation here ridiculously fitting with the setting
i mean this had to be included somehow!
Kevin??
oh! so “Kevin” is a reference to that one Changeling, isn’t it? nice
oof, the perils of not being sanctioned
remember that, Sunset!
yay Cherry Jubilee’s in this
dang, that’s better living than any place i’ve stayed in!
ahaha
ooh! adapting the hippogriffs as Harpies makes so much sense!
dang, Ocellus is in this too, nice!
11577696
Honestly, that's very possible. She definitely studied how god-artifacts worked and how people use them.
Remind me to have Sunset ride a Unicorn into battle at some point
I've been trying to include a lot of characters in this. This is a big world that deserves very good people in it.